What Makes a Quality Leather Bag?
Here's What Handcrafted Means to Us
Handcrafted means people who care. It means we are spending hours, days and weeks carefully choosing the best leather hides, cutting, sewing and finishing your leather bag. It's a very hands-on craft and attention to detail matters. We care deeply about these products and how they function in your life. We want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase, which we view as only the beginning of the customer relationship.
Quality is Guaranteed
Once the products are completed at the factory and have undergone a thorough quality control process, we could ship them directly to customers. But we don't. Instead, we put them through another rigorous quality control inspection at our warehouse. Is that overkill? Probably. But that's the point.
Uncommon Materials
We also take the materials we use very seriously. Here's why the materials we use make your leather bag so unique and something you'll want to hang on to.
Full Grain Leather
We use only full grain leather to make our leather goods. This is important because most leather products are made of “genuine leather.” Watch our video to learn the differences and why genuine leather can be the worst grade of leather. Full grain leather has all of its layers intact and is the strongest form of leather that exudes the most character. Simply put, full grain leather is the best you can get.
Vegetable Tanned Leather
Our leather also goes through a vegetable tanning process, which very few bags on the market use. Vegetable tanning refers to the plant matter like tree bark used in the tanning process. It’s the oldest form of leather tanning and has been around for centuries. Vegetable tanning allows us to make thicker leather with more body that ages better - developing a rich patina over time.
Some of our leathers like our bridle leather and Italian leather are fully vegetable tanned. Others are semi-vegetable tanned, using a combination tanning method. There are different advantages of each and we select the best one for the product we’re making.
Vegetable tanned leather has that classic, wonderful leather smell. If you haven't experienced it, you're missing out.
North American Steer Hides
We use strong North American steer hides to make our leather bags and wallets. These are large healthy cattle that produce strong hides from specific breeds. The same type of cattle my Grandpa Wayne raised. A lot of leather on the market is made from smaller breeds, older or thinner cows. You know what happens to your skin when you’re old and thin? It’s the same for cattle.
Solid Brass Hardware
We use solid brass hardware with an antique brass finish. Using real solid brass hardware is nearly unheard of these days - but it's the way things used to be made. It costs a lot more than most metal hardware for bags. It’s difficult to produce and harder to find. But it’s worth it because it lasts. It feels substantial in your hands and ages well because it’s highly resistant to corrosion and cracking.
Premium Zippers
I love our zippers. They are made in California - I got to see the factory where they are made and it’s quite a place. They custom dye our zipper fabric for us and the machining of the metal is so precise that these zippers practically zip themselves.
American Heritage Canvas
We use Martexin Original Wax canvas. Martexin is an American heritage fabric company that’s been around since 1838. The fabrics are truly works of art – thick, durable, and water repellent. They have a substantial feel to them and a toughness and durability that is just what we seek. We use a heavier waxed version for exterior parts and a lighter non-waxed (but water repellent) version for interiors. To read more about Martexin canvas, click here.
Heavy Gauge Thread
The thread is often overlooked because it’s pretty boring to think about thread. But without good quality thread, there is no way a bag will last. We use heavy gauge bonded thread to make our leather goods. We typically “size-up” for added strength, which is just the type of overkill we love to incorporate.
Finished Edges
For exposed edges, we use a high quality edge finishing process. The result is a smooth, tastefully painted edge that adds to the durability and aesthetic of the product. It's an expensive and labor-intensive process, but finished edges are one of those details that matter.
Handcrafted by Artisans
This is an old school process, with each product meticulously handcrafted to last. Most of our products are crafted by artisans in the Dominican Republic specializing in luxury level production. Our watch straps are handcrafted in Italy. We take great pride in our quality and it's central to everything we do.